Tank cleaner



A. J. HAMEL June 29, 1965 TANK CLEANER Filed April 30, 1963 lFNE ALBERIC J. HAMEL BY 7W a/.

ATTORNEYS by a shovel.

3,191,206 TANK CLEANER Alberic J. Hamel, 520 Robinhood Road, West Vancouver,

British Columbia, Canada Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 276,970 6 Claims. (Cl. 151.7)

This invention relates to a tank cleaner, and more particularly to means for removing sediment, sludge or other refuse -of material which collects or deposits in the tank during use. The invention is particularly adapted to remove sediment from and flush septic tanks.

It is well known by those who use septic tanks to dispose of sewerage that it is very often necessary to remove sediment, sludge or the like which is deposited in the lower portion of the tanks in order for the tanks to function properly. Septic tanks are usually cleaned by the use of a suction hose which is inserted downwardly into the tank from the cover plate thereon and sucking therefrom sediment, sludge and the like which has to be loosened It has been found that sediment near the suction head of the suction hose can be removed by suction alone but sediment which settles outside the suctive area of the hose is usually too compact to be removed by suction only.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an efiicient apparatus which can be readily inserted through the covers of septic tanks and which will loosen and agitate the sediment which has normally settled to the bottom of the tank to thereby suspend it in the liquid sewerage and at the same time remove said sediment and liquid sewerage from the tank.

Another object is to provide an apparatus to flush and thereby clean the tank to prepare it for further use.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tank cleaning apparatus of the type described foregoing, which may be permanently secured inside the tank.

The present invention comprises a fluid discharge pipe and adapted when connected to a source of high pressure fluid to discharge a fluid jet into the tank to thereby agitate the sediment in the tank, and a suction pipe adapted when connected to a vacuum pump to remove the fluid and agitated sediment from the tank.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the tank cleaner mounted in a tank shown in cross section, showing the device installed in a septic tank,

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross section through the device,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment of the device, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an upper portion of the device.

Referring to the drawings, 9 generally represents a flusher and deduct-or unit, comprising a suction pipe 10 preferably of relatively large diameter and composed of a material, such as copper, which is resistant to the corrosive action of water and acids and the like. The pipe 10 has a lower barrel portion 11 which projects downwardly through the cover 12 of a septic tank 13. The upper portion 14 of the suction pipe is angled away from the axis of the lower portion 11 to form an upper shoulder 15. The upper end 16 of the suction pipe is provided with threads 17 to which a coupling end of the suction hose 18 may be threaded.

Threaded through the bore of the lower portion 11 of the suction pipe 10 and lying against the inner wall thereof is a relatively small diameter fluid discharge pipe 20, the upper portion 22 of which projects upwardly out of the upper shoulder 15 of the suction pipe 10 through a threaded sleeve 23 securely welded thereon. The dis- United States Patent charge pipe 20 is adapted to rotate within the sleeve 23, and is sealed thereon by a compression nut 24 threadingly secured to the sleeve 23. Said upper portion 22 of the pressure pipe is provided with a handle 25 by which the pressure pipe may be rotated within the bore of the suction pipe 10. The upper end of the discharge pipe 20 is also threaded to receive a high pressure outer hose 27.

The lower portion 28 of the discharge pipe 20 projects outwardly of the lower end 29 of the suction pipe and is rotatably supported in position relative the suction pipe by a holder 30. In the preferred form, the holder 30 comprises a strip of metal bent at right angles to form a vertical leg 31 and a horizontal leg 32, the vertical leg being secured by welding or other suitable means to the periphery of the suction pipe at the lower end 29 thereof, the horizontal leg projecting inwardly relative to the bore of the suction pipe. The horizontal leg 32 is provided with an aperture 34 of suflicient diameter to slidably and rotatably receive the lower portion 28 of the discharge pipe 243.

The lower end of the discharge pipe 20 is provided with a nozzle unit 35 adapted to direct water under pressure radially outwardly from the discharge pipe 20. The nozzle unit 35, as shown in enlarged view in FIGURE 3, is a T connector, having a vertical leg 36 and a horizontal leg 37. The bore of vertical leg 36 is slightly larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the discharge pipe 20 to permit the discharge pipe 20 to be inserted therein, the connection being secured by welding. The upper end 39 of the vertical leg 36 forms an annular seat for the horizontal leg 32 of the holder 30. The lower end 41 of the vertical leg 36 is suitably plugged shut, preferably by welding, to form a foot 42, the purpose of which will also hereinafter be described. The horizontal leg 37 is provided with two nozzles 43 and 44, nozzle 43 being adapted to emit a jet of water in the horizontal plane and nozzle 44 being adapted to emit a jet of water upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 to the horizontal. The nozzle unit 35 is also provided with a radial cleaning flange 46 which, in the preferred form, is a relatively thin metallic web welded or otherwise secured in place between nozzle 44 and the vertical leg 36 of the nozzle unit 35 and is of suflicient horizontal length so that it will extend across the bore of suction pipe 10 when the discharge pipe 20 is rotated.

The flusher and eductor 9 as described, is primarily designed to remove sediment and the like from a septic tank. Referring to FIGURE 1, the flusher and eductor is shown positioned in a septic tank. The foot 42 of the discharge pipe 20 rests upon the floor 49 of the septic tank, thereby holding the horizontal leg 37 of the nozzle unit 35 upwardly from the floor. The upper end 39 of the vertical leg 36 which serves as a seat for the horizontal leg 32 of the holder 30, also holds the suction pipe 10 upwardly from the bottom of the floor. In operation, the upper end 16 of the suction pipe is connected to the suction hose 18 which is of the standard type carried by a vacuum pump truck now in standard use in cleaning septic tanks, and the discharge pipe 26 is connected to the high pressure water hose 27. When suctive force is applied to the suction pipe 10 simultaneously with water under pressure supplied to discharge pipe 20, it all be seen that the water jets from the nozzles 43 and 44 of said pressure pipe will agitate the sediment in the tank to thereby allow the suction pipe to remove both sediment and fluid therefrom, nozzle 43 of the discharge pipe loosening and agitating heavier than water sediment that has settled to the bottom of the tank and nozzle 44 agitating and breaking up lighter than water scum and the like which forms on the surface of the liquid content of the taank. Jets of water issuing from both nozzles are directed by rotating the discharge pipe by the handle 25, the rotational movon the standard vacuum pump truck or it may be installed as a permanent fixture in the septic tanks. In thelatter case, it is obvious that the unit must be adjustable to fit septic tanks of various sizes so that the ferrule 17 does 2 the septic tank be installed in a driveway or the like. The lower portion 11 of the suction pipe is thereforecornprised of an upper section 51 which telescopically unites with a lower section '52, the outside diameter of the lower section 52 being slightly smaller than the inside diameter of upper section 51 to permit a snugly slidable fit. The lower end of the upper section 51 may be tightened around the upper end of the lower section 52 to thereby secure the sections against telescopidmovement, by any suitable adjustable split ring clamp, herein numbered 54. Where the 'flusher and eductor is permanently installed in a septic. tank, the ferruled upper ends of thesuction pipe and discharge pipe may be provided with threadingly secured caps 55 and 56 to' prevent escape o f,gases from the septic tank when said tank is being used for sewage disposal purposes. In the operation of cleaning a septic amount of the bacteria-carrying sediment must be'permitted to remain in thetank. In order that'not. all the 'sediment'be removed, the suction hose 18 is provided with a short glassite section 58. The operator'of the unit is therefore able to gauge the amount of sediment and the like bein'gwithdrawn from the tank and tostop emit a jet of fluid into the tank to thereby agitate the sediment therein,'means, to rotate the pipe to thereby direct thejet of fluid, a suction pipe having an intake end and a discharge end, having said intake end immersed in the liquid Within the tank and being adapted when connected 'at, its discharge end to avacuum pump to remove the liquid and agitated sediment therefrom, and a cleaning member operatively'c'onnected to the discharge pipe and disposed across theintake end of the suction pipe to clean said intake end of blocking sediment when I the discharge pipe is rotated.

'2. A'tank'cleaning apparatus insertable downwardly through the cover plate of a tank containing liquidand sediment, for removing the sediment therefrom compristank, a certain not projectupwardly of the surface of the ground should ing a suction pipe having an intake end and a discharge end and having its said intake end immersed in the liquid within the tank, a fluid discharge pipe secured for rotation .to' a side of the'suction pipe and in parallel alignment therewith, said fluid discharge pipe having one end connectable to' a source of high pressure fluid and having at least two discharge nozzles at the other end thereof adapted when the discharge pipe is connected to said source of high pressure fluid to discharge fluid jets into the tank to agitate the sediment therein, means to rotate the discharge pipe to direct thefluid jetsin any desired radial direction, andcleaning means secured to the discharge pipe and disposed across the intake end of the suction pipe to clear the suction pipe of any blocking sediment when the discharge pipe is rotated, and coupling means to connect the discharge end of the suction pipe to a vacuum pump to thereby remove theliquid and agitated sediment from the tank;

3. A tank cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim-2 in which the nozzles are disposed todirect at least one fluid jet parallel to the, bottom of thetank and at least one fluid jet upwardly at an angle ofnot less than 20 to the horizontal.

4.,A tank cleaningapparatus as claimed in'clairn including window meansformed in the discharge end of the suction pipe whereby'the nature of the sediment being removed from the tank may be ascertained 5. A tank cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including foot, support means carried by the discharge pipe belowthe nozzles to the bottom of the tank 6. A tank. cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the-suction pipeis telescopically segmentalized to permit the apparatus to, be used in tanks of varying depths. 4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS support the nozzles upwardly from CHARLES A. WILLA turn, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE J. NORTH, Examiner. 

1. A TANK CLEANING APPARATUS INSERTABLE INTO A TANK FOR REMOVING LIQUID AND SEDIMENT THEREFROM COMPRISING A ROTATABLE FLUID DISCHARGE PIPE BEING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO A SOURCE OF HIGH PRESSURE FLUID AND HAVING A DISCHARGE NOZZLE AT THE OTHER END, SAID NOZZLE BEING ADAPTED TO EMIT A JET OF FLIID INTO THE TANK TO THEREBY AGITATE THE SEDIMENT THEREIN, MEANS TO ROTATE THE PIPE TO THEREBY DIRECT THE JET OF FLUID, A SUCTION PIPE HAVING AN INTAKE END AND A DISSCHARGE END, HAVING SAID INTAKE END IMMERSED IN THE LIQUID WITHIN THE TANK AND BEING ADAPTED WHEN CONNECTED AT ITS DISCHARGE END TO A VACUUM PUMP TO REMOVE THE LIQUID AND AGITATED SEDIMENT THEREFROM, AND A CLEANING MEMBER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE DISHARGE PIPE AND DISPOSED ACROSS THE INTAKE END OF THE SUCTION PIPE TO CLEAN SAID INTAKE END OF BLOCKING SEDIMENT WHEN THE DISCHARGE PIPE IS TOTATED. 